1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fragrance composition having antifungal activity. An object of the present invention is to provide a highly safe antifungal fragrance composition that disperses a desired fragrance in a room, closet or shoe box in which it is placed while simultaneously inhibiting mold growth, thereby preventing contamination of wall surfaces, floor surfaces, shoe surfaces and so forth caused by mold.
2. Prior Art
One of the characteristics of harmful mold growth in homes in Japan is the high temperature and humidity that occur in summer. In contrast, during the winter, in the case of concrete housing complexes such as apartments, in particular, a major cause of harmful mold growth is the interior condensation of moisture due to thermal insulation resulting from internal thermal insulating methods. For these reasons, a large amount of mold is detected indoors in both the summer and winter. The types of mold isolated from rooms and bathrooms have been reported to vary according to the season, the region in which they were researched and other factors (Antibacterial and Antifungal Agents, Vol. 19, pp. 127-134 (1991); Antibacterial and Antifungal Agents, Vol. 28, pp. 421-426 (2000); etc.).
For example, Wallemia, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium and other species of molds have been isolated from floor dust, while mold in the form of black stains present in the joints of bathroom tiles are said to be frequently caused by mold species such as Cladosporium, Phoma, Auerobasidium and Ochroconis. When such molds grow on wall surfaces, in closets or in shoe boxes, they can cause numerous problems such as mildew and other unpleasant odors, the creation of white, yellow, black or other stains, damage to wall surfaces or the resulting spores can become suspended in the room and cause allergies.
Antifungal agents are frequently used as a means of preventing such mold growth. However, many of the antifungal agents that are commonly used are aqueous sprays containing sodium hypochlorite as their main ingredient. Although these antifungal agents are easy to use since they can be rinsed off after use if used in locations involving the use of water such as in bathrooms or lavatories, in the case of ordinary rooms, closets and shoe boxes, etc., there are concerns over their strongly irritating odor and safety with respect to the human body. Moreover, there is also a risk of new moisture remaining after spraying and resulting following decomposition of the active ingredient such as sodium hypochlorite becoming a hotbed for mold growth.
Essential oils and their components, fragrant chemical products, have been widely known to have antibacterial and antifungal activity (Toru Asagoshi, Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists of Japan, Vol. 34, pp. 25-46 (2000) and cited references therein), and have been shown in numerous reports to demonstrate activity not only in methods involving direct contact with test microorganisms, but also in the vapor state (Maruzzella, J. C. et al., American Perfumer and Aromatics 74 (Aug), 21-22 (1959); Shinobu Gocho, Antibacterial and Antifungal Agents, Vol. 20, p. 585 (1992); Tamio Nishimura, Aromatopia, 10, 60-63 (1995)).
Examples of patents describing antibacterial or antifungal activity demonstrated by essential oils and fragrant chemical products in the vapor state include Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 3-77161 (a non-therapeutic antimicrobial), Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 6-24952 (a bacteriostatic aromatic agent for the bathroom), Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 10-108691 (an antimicrobial activity detection method), Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 10-338630 (a fungal infection and diffusion preventive agent using essential oil), Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 11-332534 (a antibacterial and bactericidal agent for food) and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 11-335219 (a bactericidal agent for the refrigerator).
However, the antibacterial and antifungal activities of these fragrant components are not so potent, and when prepared in an amount that demonstrates activity, the characteristic aroma of the active ingredient becomes conspicuous. There are many cases in which the scent of the overall preparation is controlled by the aroma of the active ingredient, thereby making it difficult to generate antibacterial and antifungal activity while maintaining a specific scent (such as a citrus, fruity, woody or mint scent).